7
Ruleone of cross-examination was to never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to if there is any possibility it could influence the jury in a negative way. Grace was breaking that rule.
Because right now the jury was out on whether or not anything was going to happen between herself and Easton tonight. It was ten to two in favor. The only two holdouts were one, you-don’t-know-this-man. And two, if-he-can-make-you-feel-like-this-from-snuggling-what-could-he-make-you-feel-from-more? Okay, number two wasn’t really against—because there were definitely two sides to that argument—it was more undecided. So, the current count was ten in favor, one against, one undecided.
But that would all change depending on the response to this question. If Easton had fooled around with Viv, even a simple kiss, that would be a smoking gun that would flip the jury twelve to zero against. And if he was at that wedding, Viv would definitely have noticed him and there is a very good chance something happened between the two of them.
“Yes,” Easton replied.
Grace’s heart sank. “Did you meet my sisters? Audrey and Vivien?”
Easton’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know, I met a lot of people. I think the whole town was there.”
“Audrey is a brunette, really pretty, sort of looks like Natalie Portman. And Viv is a redhead, curvy. People say she’s a real-life Jessica Rabbit,” Grace tried to jog his memory.
From the glimmer of recollection, it looked like it worked. “Oh, okay. Yeah, I think I met Viv.”
“Did anything happen between you two?” Grace was holding her breath.
“No. I mean, I think we danced together once, but that’s it.”
Grace was a professional bullshit detector. Knowing when someone was lying was a huge part of the job and her gut was telling her that Easton wasn’t lying.
Relief washed over her. It took her a second to realize that the relief she was feeling had nothing to do with the fact that the possibility of something happening between the two of them was still on the table.
It was more than that. She was happy, in a far too deep way considering she’d just met this man, that he hadn’t messed around with Viv.
She smiled as she moved closer to him. When she did, she felt something very large, and very hard press against her belly.
“Sorry,” he said through gritted teeth as he closed his eyes and tried to scoot back. “Ignore that.”
“No.”
At her response his eyes opened and his gaze was pointed down at her cleavage which was in full display with the white lace bra she was wearing, but it immediately shot back up to meet her gaze.
A grin tugged at her lips at his attempt not to stare at her boobs. She had to give him credit because she’d inherited her mom’s curves. She had very full C cups that most men drooled over. The fact that he was trying his best to be a gentleman when she was making no such effort was definitely admirable if she hadn’t already made her decision about him, it would have definitely swayed the jury twelve to zero in favor.
“No?” he repeated.
“I like you,” she stated plainly.
His brow creased slightly. “I like you, too.”
“And I’m attracted to you.”
He didn’t respond this time, but he didn’t need to. There was physical evidence of how he felt about her.
“Sex is not on the table,” she stated firmly. Grace didn’t have one-night stands. Ever. Until she was in her mid-twenties she’d only been with two men and they’d both been her boyfriends. Once she realized that she wasn’t really a relationship person, she still hadn’t had casual sex. She dated men for at least three months before ever being with them, and that was only after she’d run extensive background checks on them.
His expression changed and he almost looked offended that she’d said that. “I didn’t think it was.”
The response only endeared him to her more because she knew that it was sincere.
She smiled at him, feeling closer to him emotionally than she had to either of her boyfriends or any of the men she’d dated. “But…I would like to do other things.”
“What other things?”
There was a gravelly quality to his voice that washed over her, sending a thrill rippling through her.